Microscopy Flashcards

Flashcards to review key vocabulary and concepts related to compound light microscopy and oil immersion microscopy.

Compound Light Microscope

A type of microscope that magnifies the image of a specimen using light and lenses, passing light through the specimen and then through two different lenses.

Objective Lens

The lens closest to the specimen, primarily responsible for magnifying the specimen; typically ranging from 4x to 100x.

Ocular Lens (Eyepiece)

The lens nearest to the user’s eye, typically magnifies the image by 10x.

Total Magnification

Calculated by multiplying the magnification power of the objective lens by the magnification power of the ocular lens.

Iris Diaphragm

Adjusted to increase light intensity as the magnification of the objective lens increases.

Refraction

The bending of light as it passes through a glass slide, causing the image to appear out of focus at high magnifications.

Immersion Oil

Used to bridge the gap between the slide and the 100x objective lens, allowing more light to travel into the objective and improving image quality. Its refractive index is nearly the same as glass.

Refractive Index

The measure of how well light passes through something; immersion oil has a refractive index nearly the same as glass.

Parfocal

Property of a microscope where the specimen remains mostly in focus when changing between objective lenses.

Lens Paper

Special paper used to clean microscope lenses without leaving lint or debris.